Time is Money
by Blue Quartz Foxy
Summary: Lambo/I Pin 12 years from canon. "How much?" "For ramen? It's listed on the menu." "No. How much is it going to cost me to spend time with you?"


Title: Time is Money

Rating: K+/PG

Summary: 12 years from canon. "How much?" "For ramen? It's listed on the menu." "No. How much is it going to cost me to spend time with you?"

Additional note: In this ficlet I Pin and Lambo are round about seventeen(ish). I guess.

Disclaimer: I do not own rights to Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Everything belongs to Akira Amano. Just borrowing the characters for a little while.

–

Walk to the kitchen, receive bowls, trot out to the customers, take empty bowls, then it's back to the kitchen. A monotonous cycle to say the least, only broken up by the occasional call-in orders, to which I Pin would lug the noddles up the street or across town for delivery.

"One miso, one pork and..."

I Pin stopped abruptly from setting bowls down as she saw someone slowly walk past the ramen stand, only to back track and return. Curious at the newcomer, her head tilted at the sound of a bell announcing the next customer. In walked a tall man wearing black-and-white spotted shirt that was nearly open from neck to navel, tight pants, and sandals on his feet.

"...cow? What is he doing here?"

"Huh? Cow? I didn't order beef!" one of the seated customers protested. "Oh! I'm sorry, I meant another miso ramen." I Pin said while hurriedly setting the third bowl down. Once she rose up, I Pin stole a glance as Lambo made himself comfortable in one of the small booths.

A co-worker of hers saw him come in and offered the young man a menu, but he politely refused.

I Pin withheld her exhale until she had returned to the kitchen. "Why is he here? I thought he was in Italy working with Tsuna-san."

Although she and Lambo didn't have a bad or a complicated relationship, I Pin still felt a touch distressed by her flushed cheeks. She excused it away as being shock. Lambo only made occasional trips to Japan nowadays, so seeing him suddenly her workplace had surprised her. Deciding she could live with a little white lie, I Pin knew time was of the essence.

Closing her eyes for a moment, I Pin took a deep breath. She couldn't stay inside the kitchen until he left. I Pin knew she to motivate herself to power through her work shift, funny fluttering inside her chest be damned.

Not to brag, but I Pin thought she did pretty good for the first hour of her six-shift went without a hitch. She only glanced Lambo's way twelve times. Each time she never spied a bowl, chopsticks, or even a menu. After the second hour went by and there was nothing on his table; save for a small cup of coffee, I Pin stopped one of her co-workers.

"I keep asking if he wants something to eat, but he always refuses."

Thirty minutes into her third hour, I Pin wondered how Lambo could sit still for this long. She remembered the him of their childhood was constantly screaming, squirming, and blowing something up- usually himself- in a dust of gunpowder or sometimes causing electric sparks.

By hour four, he had accumulating a mountain of coffee cups. So many, I Pin began to worry what all that caffeine would do to his body.

As her work shift drew to a close, I Pin decided to take her second fifteen minute break. Or rather it was decided for her. For when I Pin turned around, she found herself stuck. Balancing a platter of empty bowls on her right hand, her gaze first fell on Lambo's left hand reaching across a booth table to grab her. At last, they looked each other in the eye. Or rather what I Pin could see of Lambo's since his right eye was closed and long dark hair nearly covered his left.

"Lambo..." she began, a feeble tug of her arm to get his grip to release. It would have been all too easy to over power the 'crybaby cow', but I Pin didn't want to tempt fate since the ramen bowls were already starting to rattle.

"How much?" he asked.

At first, hazel eyes blinked rapidly, the captured girl a bit confused. "You mean the ramen? It's on the menu. I'll get you one." Of course that's what he meant, I Pin assured herself, trying to will a racing pulse to slow down.

Lambo raises his head reluctantly, as if it's too bothersome to crane his neck to look at the ramen waitress, "No. How much is it going to cost me to spend some time with you?"

It took I Pin a moment to puzzle out what Lambo was saying. When he released her hand and brought out a wallet to thumb through some bills, she instantly jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"T-this is a ramen shop, Lambo. Not a host club!" I Pin hissed, her cheeks flushed a dark shade of pink. She wondered if he really was so clueless as to think waitress was the same as a...a... She couldn't even think it, let alone accuse Lambo of comparing her to 'one of those women'.

Lambo's left eye blinked, "I would hope not, because then that would make you a man."

"Then you are implying that I'll..." I Pin withheld her outburst upon remembering she was still at work. She wasn't normally like this. In fact Lambo is the only person who could get under her skin like this.

"Aye, aye" the young man muttered, "Forget I even asked, it was a joke."

'Not a good one' I Pin thought, her cheeks puffed out a little in annoyance.

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, I am very busy with work." I Pin stated, hoping he'd take the hint. Lambo was never good with 'hints'. Instead, he pulled out his trump card: playing to people's sympathies. Thankfully, he had matured past crying to get attention. Still the 'stupid cow' had other ways of getting what he wanted.

"I just wanted to talk. It's...weird being in Japan on business while everyone one else is in Italy. I get lonely and homesick easily. So, I thought about swinging by your ramen shop and we could hang out for awhile."

Lambo bowed his head, looking for all the world as a man dejected and carrying a heavy burden, "But, if my only friend in the world is going to turn me away, maybe I should go."

I Pin sighed. Although she was grateful Lambo wasn't going to turn on the water works, she could have done without the guilt trip.

"I can give you fifteen minutes, Lambo. Let me put these ramen bowls in the kitchen and I'll be right back."

She made good on her promise, returning promptly and sitting across from Lambo at his booth. Yet not a moment she sat down, did I Pin notice the pained expression on Lambo's face and he seemed antsy.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine" he said. I Pin caught his gaze looking away as if looking for something. She then looked to the coffee cups, quickly connecting the dots. "If you need to...uh use the restroom, I can wait Lambo" I Pin said in a low tone, trying to be a discreet as possible.

He smirked, yet the expression looked strained, "No. I'm fine, really."

Another two seconds passed, then Lambo suddenly bolted from the table, the door to the men's room gently swinging open and closed in his wake.

I Pin wasn't sure if she should roll her eyes, sigh in relief, or laugh. For all of her worries of Lambo changing too much in their time apart, she was glad for the reminder that he was still as dorky as ever.

He returned a short while later with a measured walk, hands in his pockets and looking through the fringes of his jet black hair. As if he was some cool celebrity. I Pin had to stop herself from snickering at how reality didn't match up with the projection.

Still, she wasn't cruel enough to tease Lambo of his lack of composure. Instead, she leaned back, easing her feet out of flats and leaning the soles against his legs.

Eyes closed, I Pin missed Lambo's mouth go slack for a moment and how his skin darkened with the hint of a blush.

"Sorry, but my feet are killing me. Be my foot stool for a little while."

Lambo sputtered, "I-I'm not some piece of furniture, I Pin!"

I Pin smiled, opening her left eye to mimic (or mock) his trademark, "And I'm not a hostess who's time you can purchase."

"So," I Pin curled her toes on Lambo's pant's leg, all the while having no idea what was going through the boy's head, thanks to her innocuous act.

"That makes us even."

–

Notes: Gah, I love Lambo and I Pin. It's just so...cute and adorable, plus they have a history of growing up together and playing as kids, which ups the cuteness factor for me. I seriously can't get enough of this ship. Thanks for reading.


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